Senior Director (YPIE Jersey City)

Yonkers Partners in Education•Jersey City, NJ

1d•$110,000 - $130,000•Onsite

About The Position

YPIE creates pathways to college and career success, focusing on mid-sized cities with a proven approach grounded in high expectations, personalized opportunity, and deep community partnership. Founded in 2007, YPIE has successfully guided thousands of students in Yonkers to and through college, with 88% of recent high school graduates enrolling in a four-year college and 63.7% earning a bachelor's degree, 18 percentage points higher than a peer control group. The organization has expanded its support to include internships and job placement for college students, securing jobs for 119 students in a pilot program. In 2023, YPIE expanded to Jersey City (YPIE JC), currently serving 300 students across three public high schools with a team of five full-time and five part-time staff. YPIE JC is at an inflection point, aiming to partner with three additional high schools and reach hundreds more students. The incoming Senior Director, Jersey City, will be the second leader in YPIE JC's history, inheriting a strong foundation and promising partnerships. This role offers a rare opportunity to shape student outcomes, expand YPIE JC's presence, build a sustainable local funding base, lead and grow a high-performing team, and play a meaningful role in YPIE's national expansion. As the senior leader of YPIE Jersey City, the Senior Director drives student outcomes, develops local partnerships, and ensures strong program execution and long-term sustainability. Reporting to the Chief Program Officer, this role oversees day-to-day site performance, manages and develops a high-performing team, and deepens YPIE's presence across partner schools and the broader Jersey City community. The Senior Director leads high-quality implementation of YPIE's proven model with thoughtful local adaptation and operates with significant autonomy within YPIE's multi-site structure, collaborating with central program, development, and operations teams.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
At least 7+ years of leadership/management experience in education, nonprofit, or a related field
Demonstrated experience managing teams and managers, developing staff, and driving measurable outcomes through strong people management
Track record of cultivating stakeholders and fundraising to support programs
Strong communication skills (written and verbal)
Ability to manage budgets, operations, and program execution effectively
Self-awareness and the ability to lead with humility
Experience working in or partnering with schools (e.g., principal, instructional leader, or education nonprofit leader)
Flexibility to work some evening and weekend hours based on program needs
Commitment to improving outcomes for economically underserved youth
Personal transportation and availability to get to multiple sites

Nice To Haves

Master's in nonprofit management, teaching, or counseling
Teach Like a Champion best practices
Spanish, Arabic, or other bilingual fluency

Responsibilities

Lead high-quality implementation of YPIE's proven program model (~85%) with thoughtful local adaptation (~15%)
Use data to monitor progress, identify gaps, and continuously improve program performance
Ensure consistent program delivery across all partner schools
Partner with central program leadership to implement curriculum, systems, and program enhancements
Share insights and lessons learned to strengthen YPIE's broader program and expansion efforts
Serve as YPIE's primary external representative in Jersey City, building visibility, credibility, and community trust
Develop and steward relationships with school leaders, district officials, higher education institutions, and community organizations
Deepen and grow school partnerships to increase the number of students served
Activate and expand a high-impact Jersey City Advisory Board to broaden community partnerships, advance fundraising, and strengthen strategic direction
Lead local fundraising to maintain ~$600K in existing support and cultivate ~$500K from new sources
Cultivate and steward relationships with donors, foundations, corporations, and public partners
Manage the site budget with disciplined financial oversight aligned to strategic priorities
Collaborate with central finance and operations teams to ensure compliance, efficiency, and long-term sustainability
Hire, coach, and retain talented staff, directly managing managers and frontline team members
Hold regular team meetings as well as 1:1s with all direct reports, providing consistent support, feedback, and accountability toward individual and site-wide goals
Oversee YPIE JC's annual performance management process for direct reports, including mid-year reviews, end-of-year evaluations, compensation conversations, and refreshing goals and development plans
Foster a collaborative, student-centered, data-driven, and outcomes-focused team culture